2018 Wasatch Yeti Bash adds beard competition, moves to Union Station

The Wasatch Yeti Bash, a winter arts and culture festival, takes place Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, at Union Station in Ogden. (BENJAMIN ZACK/Standard-Examiner)

Posted: 12:01 am, Feb 2nd, 2018

OGDEN — There might not be a lot (or any) snow on the ground, but that’s not gonna stop the Yetis from taking over downtown Ogden Friday.

Back for its third year, the Wasatch Yeti Bash will feature an interactive winter arts market, a community bike ride, yoga and multiple other activities. The event, which is free and family-friendly, kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at Ogden’s Union Station and continues into Saturday, Feb. 3, with the Sweaty Yeti Fat Bike Race at North Fork Park in Liberty.

The Yeti Bash started in 2016 as a way to draw people to Historic 25th Street in downtown Ogden during the winter months, said Sydnie Furton, marketing director for Visit Ogden.

“We have nothing after Christmas Village until Restaurant Week (in mid-April). People are excited to have an event taking place downtown kind of during the time when cabin fever sets in,” Furton said.

This year, the Yeti Bash is moving from the Ogden Amphitheater to Union Station at the opposite end of 25th Street. It’s an all-weather event, Furton said, but organizers didn’t want to jeopardize the artists participating in the event of bad weather. They also wanted to promote the two art galleries in Union Station.

“The Yeti Bash really includes two of our most distinct cultures. We have a really big arts culture and outdoor enthusiasts,” she said.

At Union Station, people can browse local artwork while getting their faces painted or learning from a graffiti artist. Outside, there will be Yeti Yoga led by AndSheDopeToo, a community bike rider for riders of all abilities and ages, and fat bike demos. The bash is also being held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Stroll.

New in 2018 is the Yeti Beard Competition, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Participants can register the day of the event from 4-6 p.m.

Furton said “lots of Yetis” will be running around downtown during the event and that she hopes more people join the fun by dressing up.

“I would really like to see this event evolve to involve other mythological creatures, just not Yetis,” she said. “I think that would be a lot of fun. But dressing up is not required.”

Here is a sampling of the planned activities, which are free and open to the public.